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PIX11 Morning News kicked off their Autism Awareness Week with Owen Saunders and his classmates from Pelham. They recorded a song for Autism Speaks urging the world to Light It Up Blue for World Autism Awareness Day. The class headed down to the New York City studio to perform!

CBS Early Show

Suzanne Wright on the Early Show

Autism Speaks opened World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, on the CBS Saturday Early Show. Bob and Suzanne Wright were guests of anchors Russ Mitchell and Rebecca Jarvis on their Early Coffee segment. They shared that over 1000 buildings in the U.S. and around the world turned blue last night and will again tonight to celebrate WAAD. When asked “what do you want people to know about autism,” Suzanne Wright said “1 in 110 … the numbers are staggering,” Bob answered the question of “What is the biggest challenge you would like to overcome with autism?” by saying “If we can get real good research and translate it into drugs and therapies we can have enormous impact – what helps a child helps an adult.” See the clip here.

Intrepid Sea, Air and SpaceMuseum

Students Singing at the Intrepid

The Intrepid played host this morning to a press conference and family event for those affected by autism. Children from Pelham Middle School joined children with autism from schools around NYC and N.J. to celebrate WAAD on April 2. Owen Saunders, a student at Pelham Middle School, created the song Light It Up Blue and got his classmates to sing it. Autism Speaks recorded the kids singing the song and created a video that has gone viral around the world! The father of a child with autism in Argentina translated the song into Spanish and it is being sung in Spain and Argentina to celebrate WAAD today.The students sang their heart-warming song today to an audience that included guest speakers Suzanne and Bob Wright – who were joined by the children and grandchildren, Senator Robert Menendez (NJ), and the president of the Intrepid Susan Marenoff-Zausner. They received a standing ovation at the conclusion of their performance. Plus visit the Pix 11 blog to see the students’ performance from April 1.

Guests and Intrepid visitors were also able to try out Autism Speaks’ brand new interactive awareness ad created by BBDO with the Ad Council. The display invites people to try to make eye contact with a young girl on the screen to demonstrate an early warning sign of autism.

NYSE Opening Bell

Global Bell Ringing Across NYSE Euronext Markets in Honor of World Autism Awareness Day

On the morning of April 1, Suzanne and Bob Wright, co-founders of Autism Speaks, and Toni Braxton, six time Grammy Award-winner and Autism Speaks spokesperson, along with other supporters, were on hand to ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Watch video here.

Empire State Building

Autism Speaks volunteers and supporters gathered at the Empire State Building to flip the ceremonial switch to turn the lights blue for the second year in a row. Bob and Suzanne Wright and Toni Braxton addressed the crowd. Read more and see photos.

We are thrilled to have the National Basketball Association partnering with us to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day. The league, teams, and players will be showing their support for World Autism Awareness Day and raising awareness of autism. NBA coaches and local broadcasters will be sporting the Autism Speaks lapel puzzle pin. And NBA TV will be lighting their studio blue on April 2nd.

The NBA has been so generous and creative in raising awareness for autism, and here are some of the ways! Several team arenas and surrounding locations will be lit up blue. Puzzle piece cookies will be on sale, Autism Speaks public service announcements will be broadcasts on jumbo vision screens and Autism Speaks concourse tables will be set up to readily hand out information to fans. Some teams are donating a portion of ticket sales to Autism Speaks, while others are turning their interior lights blue during halftime!

Thank you so much to the National Basketball Association, NBA Cares, and all of the teams and players involved in World Autism Awareness Day! And don’t miss the NBA Cares video below with Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

We really wanted to embrace the Light It Up Blue campaign in St. Louis. The St. Louis Volunteer PR committee has really taken on this project and made it soar.

The first contact they made was nothing short of genius! They contacted a lighting company; actually, it wasn’t just a lighting company, but THE Lighting Company in St. Louis, HOK Lighting. HOK Lighting came on board and lent Autism Speaks their time, talent, and knowledge of the buildings and fountains that could easily and inexpensively change the color of their lighting.